New Delhi: In a major development, the Delhi government on August 13 informed the Delhi High Court that nine Tihar Jail officials had been suspended over their alleged role in an extortion racket involving inmates. Disciplinary proceedings under Central Civil Services (CCS) Rules have also been initiated against them.
The disclosure came in compliance with the Court’s earlier directive seeking details of action taken following an inquiry into administrative lapses inside the jail. The case stems from a petition alleging that inmates, aided by jail staff, were extorting money through irregular and illegal means.
CBI to Probe “Illegal and Corrupt Activities”
Earlier this week, the High Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR and investigate what it called “illegal and corrupt activities in the city’s jails, involving authorities and inmates.”
The directive followed the CBI’s preliminary inquiry report, which the Bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said revealed the involvement of both inmates and officials in various forms of unlawful activity. The judges termed the findings “very disturbing and startling.”
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Government Given Eight Weeks for Status Update
During Wednesday’s hearing, the Delhi government assured the court it would file a detailed report within two months. The Bench, however, granted eight weeks for submission of a formal status report and reminded the government to “follow disciplinary rules strictly.”
The court’s intervention began on May 2, when it directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry and the Delhi government’s Home Department to investigate administrative lapses separately. These instructions came after the petition first reached the court’s attention in September last year.
Inspecting Judge’s Report Unveiled Grave Concerns
In September, the High Court had asked the Inspecting Judge of Tihar Jail to examine the petition’s allegations and submit findings in a sealed cover. Upon reviewing the report, the court observed that it disclosed not only irregularities and illegalities in jail functioning but also criminal activities within the facility.
With the suspension of nine officials and the CBI now formally tasked with the investigation, the case has escalated into one of the most serious corruption probes into Delhi’s prison system in recent years.
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